The Provenance of Lunacy
by Mellifluous Keys
Summary: (AU) Peter Kowalski's elated to have his childhood sweetheart Nakayama Shinra, an aspiring prized intellect, transfer to Bullworth Academy, but he's gravely worried as to how the young lady would find the infamous, sanity-deprived institution 'fun'. With his transfer to another school drawing close, he has to arm Shinra against impending mayhem... and Gary Smith's lust for power.
1. 00: curtain-raiser

_"The light reflected wild flowers;,  
do you think this is a dream,  
__even after you've blinked your eyes?"_

**_-_enn~ 淵 ~, Sally**

* * *

**_00 : curtain-raiser  
_**

Pacing back and forth nervously, with almost perfectly precise timings between each step, the young man glanced at the receptionist with a distraught expression. Every few seconds, his head would swerve from the polished tiled floor towards the wrinkle-faced lady, gradually breaking down due to the suspense she was nonchalantly giving him. She rummaged through the stack of mail in front of her, widening her soulless eyes slightly as she came across a new, purely white envelope. After briefly skimming through the recipient's name and the academy's address on the front, she tapped the counter with her long red-polished nail, which produced a noise comparable to the constant ringing of her co-worker's telephone behind her. This caught the young man's attention and he leapt at the counter, eyeing the envelope whilst trying to control his frantic excitement. The receptionist raised an eyebrow; there was no mistaking that his patience was quickly wearing thin.

"I don't want a mess on the floor so, _please_, dispose of the paper bits in the bin over there," Her voice was lenient and gentle despite her sigh of exasperation. Pointing towards the black rubbish bin beside the door, she calmed down a little seeing the young man nod obediently as he rushed towards the bin. Occasionally she would look above the counter in hopes of seeing a tiny fragment of paper fall carelessly to the ground. Keenly waiting for the opportunity for a good scolding, the young man unfortunately was meticulous and precarious, not allowing a little scrap of torn paper to leave the bin.

On his side, it was almost impossible to try to describe his happiness in one word. He was aware of his immature behaviour when accepting the envelope, so he decided that two words were more fitting than one, "warm fuzzies". A haphazard mess of happiness and contentment filled his mind as he tore open the envelope. He took out a letter which smelled strikingly similar to recycled paper, and after wrinkling his nose, he sat down on the leather sofa with the letter in hand.

_"**Dear Peter**,_

_ Good morning, Peter~! (Or Kowalski-san, huhu~) I predicted that you're reading this letter during the first half of your curriculum, so it should be morning for you~ That aside, how is my lovely friend doing? It's been about a few months since we last wrote to each other and I'm really happy to be able to write again in a more stable state of mind~ I hope everything is going well in Bullworth Academy for you, Peter~ I noticed you've changed considerably after reading your most recent letter to me. I admit that it's a challenge trying to read your tiny curvy handwriting; has your occipital lobe sustained some damage from your experience in school~? Oh, do pardon my teases; the debates during History classes were literally re-moulding my English expressive abilities. If we do meet, you'd see me as a different person entirely, and I hope that doesn't happen~!_

_ Oh, many things happened during those few months since my sudden disappearance, but I'm dissatisfied with one thing. Unfortunately, I didn't fulfil the criteria needed to enrol in New Spectra Institute, much to my parents' great disappointment. Shame, I won't be able to join the Research Society for Astronomical Sciences…! Nonetheless, my father's recently got a promotion in his career—I believe he's the senior researcher in the Neuroscience department…! He's considering working in a mental hospital or asylum, and isn't there an asylum in Bullworth~? Happy Volts Asylum, was it? Please forgive me since my memory is really vague! Well, my father is planning to go to work at some place concerning mental health, so please do elaborate on Happy Volt's background~! My father would appreciate it greatly._

_ Alright, enough about my father~ The true purpose as to why I'm writing this to you is because I've missed you dearly, Peter. It's awfully lonely here without you and even though I have my friends from class, they don't seem to accept me as a true friend. I've only found so much comfort in talking to you and still feel sad that we're now not able to talk… I'm begging my father to consider Happy Volts Asylum because if he agrees to working there, I'd be able to settle in Bullworth with you~! Oh, Peter, please do tell me back that you've missed me too. I hope you feel the same way, because I honestly do miss you… dearly! I'm deeply grateful that you still write to me, and while letters may seem hopeless especially with the coming era of improved technology, I hope you don't neglect our unbreakable friendship._

_ I anticipate your letter and pray that someday we will see each other again~! In the meantime, take care and make sure to keep a good holistic report in school~! Good grades may be difficult to achieve, but they at least get you somewhere good~_

**_With lots of love and hearts and cookies and all things fluffy,_**  
**_Shinra~"_**

* * *

**_..._**

**A/N: Hello~! It's Melli here~ This is my first piece of fanfiction and I hope to receive feedback in the first few chapters. I'm quite new to writing fanfiction and I hope to have some help while I write this story~! If you're a little unsure about what's going on, let's say that little Kowalski here received a letter from his good 'ol friend~ Who, you may ask~? ... Since he's a femme-boy, it has to be a boy-**

***ahem* Shinra's a girl...~! Yes, she's an OC of mine who's Kowalski's good and only friend before they separated during high school~ In this universe, they're quite close~ Like little elementary school kids who argue all the time over a little cookie~ Huhu~**

**Well, I'll write more details in the first chapter when I bring it up... ... soon, in the future, close future at least... As long as my commitment stays strong, I'll continue writing~! Mew~ **

**- Melli. Keys**


	2. 01: social correction

**01: Social correction**

* * *

Silence is a virtue, silence is golden, silence is… just pure yellow.

It was rare to experience true tranquillity in Bullworth, even in a closed empty room. Jimmy Hopkins would know: the wildfire of gossips, streams of love letters, traces of booby-traps and aftermaths of pranks were almost everywhere. It was a difficult chore to even rest your eyes for a second or two. Lying sprawled on his bed, his head hanging over the edge, he questioned himself if he was awake, dreaming, in a coma or just dead. Although the male students were normally tending to their matters in the dorm, producing sufficient noise to disrupt his rest irritatingly, Jimmy felt… peaceful.

_Peaceful._

He cringed to himself, dumbfounded at his brain for processing such a feeling. He couldn't remember when was the last time he felt peaceful—was it walking with pride away from the limp body of a Bully who attempted to slam his body in a locker the other day?

… _Nah_. He couldn't feel at peace from an incident that kindly offered him a black eye. He touched the purplish swollen skin around his eye—

"_G—gh...!_" —and regretted it. The pain wasn't as bad as he anticipated, but it still hurt like hell. He sat up on his bed, his eyes slowly looking towards his open door. He only noticed now that he always seemed to leave his bedroom door open, which could probably explain the constant flow of cowardly students seeking his help. As he frowned in discovery at this, a disturbing thought tickled his brain: no one would've watched him sleep... right? A chill raced down his spine, sending creepy shudders to all parts of his body. He was fully aware of the bisexual and homosexual students in the dorm. It wasn't that he was against it, but seeing such people in a generally heterosexual society was quite bizarre...

Or perhaps he was just too immature to confront the controversies of sexual orientations. He was 15, anyway; that could be passed as the most valid excuse ever known in the history of sexual education.

He also noticed something odd. Hitting the mark of yet another 'eureka!', he found out that Gary and Petey's voices were absent from the mix of voices outside his room. He remarked that Gary's voice would be distinguishably and considerably loud, as well as Petey's whose whines of annoyance were also quite pitiful. It was also strange that he actually gave a damn about those two people not being here. Perhaps he was experiencing the crushing weight of stress that it kept him from being fully conscious in his surroundings. "Hope I didn't miss anything important..." With a grim smug on his face, he hopped off his bed and exited his room.

Much to his dreaded expectation, Gary and Petey weren't in the lounge room. Ordering a can of soda from the vending machine, he ignored the Bullies who broke in cacophonous laughter as they tried to force a scrawny Nerd into a rubbish bin. After the pea-brained apes were satisfied with their abuse, they began talking amongst themselves whilst kicking the bin from time to time.

"So I've heard another student transferred in today," One brought up, his eyes watching the Nerd cower helplessly in the bin, "A broad, maybe?"

His partner scoffed with a bitter chuckle, "If she's got curves, I'd so check her out."

"_Seriously_? That's all you gotta say?" They both snickered deviously to themselves, and Jimmy rolled his eyes to himself. Nonetheless, his interest was successfully piqued. Not wanting to be a victim of the Bullies, he carefully sneaked out of the lounge and walked briskly to the main door. Once he was out, he threw the empty can of soda carelessly into the bin, not bothering if he had missed, which he did.

The jonquil splatters of the Sun's hues covered the school's grounds in a gleaming coat of gold, casting tall dark shadows of the trees and almost overwhelming the pristine blueness of the afternoon sky. The glaze of the sunlight that shone on the buildings actually made them look grandeur and majestic, creating a breathtaking sight. He would've just stood there and admired the pretty colours, but Jimmy had no inclination to pursue poetry and other flowery crap. He was more concerned about the whereabouts of Gary and Petey, looking around but not successful in finding any teal vest or pink shirt.

It was only until he glanced towards the front gates of the school did he spot the two boys. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered if there was something going on at the school's entrance. A little offended that they didn't inform him, he stormed towards the gates with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Looking towards Gary who always dragged him into his dirty businesses, he called out, "Hey, Gary...!"

The brown-haired student turned around before Jimmy could finish his call, his hands meeting together in a clap. Pulling a rather relieved smile (though Jimmy would back away slightly, knowing his deceiving expressions), Gary exclaimed, "Ah,_ Jimmy_, good to see you! Is that a black eye~? Must be Russell again, huh."

"Don't ask." Jimmy scowled at him, shrugging his shoulders off, "What's happening here?"

"See for yourself," Moving aside, gesturing towards Petey, Gary had a somewhat amused look on his face. He was about to explode in laughter, but he only forced a little grim chuckle. Jimmy walked closer, squinting his eyes a little, before widening them in surprise.

"_M—mhn—mngh_-"

"_M—mew—Peter, your head's softer than I remembered~!"_

"... Ah." Jimmy blinked, rendered speechless. He wondered if he had seen things wrongly: Petey's words were muffled because his face was buried in...

..._ boobs_.

Real, supple, squishy _boobs_. _Boobs _belonging to a well-developed female. _Boobs _that jiggled as his face dug more into it.

Oh, the envy.

"She's been at it for a whole ten minutes, you see," Gary continued to chuckle, glancing at his silver watch, clearly impressed by the time that passed. Petey frantically tried to pry off the arms that wrapped around his head tightly like an anaconda. His whole body was trembling like a drenched puppy, and his face was just as pink as his shirt, if not leaning to the colours of red. He was clearly not enjoying what his head was going through. It was impossible to try to decipher what he was saying, since... ... well, Jimmy certainly didn't want to emphasize on it again.

"She...?" Jimmy repeated after Gary, now focusing his attention on the female holding Petey's head captive. She was probably Asian, though he didn't know which country she came from. She was slightly shorter than Jimmy, a characteristic he expected. She had fairly long black hair tied to form two thick braids sealed by identical grey ribbons, and her bangs were almost covering her eyebrows. With a well-ironed tartan pinafore over a white blouse, she looked to have come from another school. Her almond-shaped brown eyes were brimming with affection and devotion for Petey, apparently. Nonetheless, the only part Jimmy was so interested was of course — her womanly moulds.

Gary was staring at them too, but he smacked Jimmy's shoulder, "_It's rude to stare, mind you._"

After another few minutes of persistent struggling, Petey finally tore away from the girl's embrace, at last having a moment to breathe. The girl didn't look very fussed when he parted from her, her arms returning behind her back as she smiled sweetly at him. It was hard to tell if Petey was happy, frightened or completely embarrassed. Perhaps it was all those emotions combined. He panted, his face still painted by a dark shade of pink, "I—it's really good to see you, Shinra...!"

"Likewise...~" 'Shinra' giggled, covering her lips slightly with the tips of her fingers. Then, as though pulled by an invisible thread, she craned her neck towards the two boys who witnessed that horrific event. It was as if she just noticed their presence. Blushing slightly in some embarrassment, she bowed a full 90-degree, "Y—you must be Peter's friends...! It's an honour to meet you...!"

Jimmy almost took a step back as her body whipped back up; he was impressed and a little disturbed to see such swift, concrete movements. Nodding slowly, he let out his hand first, pulling the most vague and smallest smile his lips could contort into, "Jimmy Hopkins."

He broke eye contact briefly to glance at Gary, whose hands remained in his pockets. The delinquent student merely half-smirked, as though concealing his truest image which was pretty much predictable, "Gary Smith."

Taking Jimmy's hand, she shook it firmly, a pleasant smile on her face, "Shinra — Nakayama Shinra~ I just transferred here from New Appleby High School." Like hell would Jimmy know where that school is located. Nodding in some understanding, he was a little bothered by how he should remember the correct pronunciation of her name. He was about to repeat her name to her to validate his own pronunciation of it, when Gary suddenly spoke up.

"Oh— the old hag's here again," Raising his eyebrows, he watched as the middle-aged lady walked towards them: Ms. Danvers. Smiling a little wryly in disgust, he jerked his chin, signalling Jimmy to leave, he also said, "Well, I've got important matters to tend to. I'll see you later then, Petey.

"And you too,_ Nakayama-san,_" His smirk widened as though he was acquainted with Shinra for a considerable amount of time. Nodding at the two, he then walked off, stepping sideways out of Ms. Danver's path, whose eyes intently watched him in suspicion. Dismissing Petey and Jimmy, she looked down at Shinra, her face devoid of any emotion. Waving her hand in the direction of the main building, she ushered the student to come with her.

"Hurry along, child. Mr. Crabblesnitch would like to have a word with you," Her old-fashioned voice was enough to make Jimmy cringe. Petey tagged along beside Shinra like a loyal puppy, completely ignoring and abandoning Jimmy. He began spilling all sorts of garbled words at her, almost skipping in his stroll. Jimmy had never seen Petey in such a state, especially when he knew the little guy as a shy, soft-spoken student. He figured that Shinra was the only person who knew Petey better than anyone else in the academy, which was evident by the two's closeness.

Heck, she was even punching him playfully on the arm and tugging at his ear.

Sighing softly, he decided it was almost time before he attended the next lesson. Walking back into the school, he paused for a moment before letting out an uncontrollable burp.

... God, the soda was acting up again.

* * *

"This is some school you've got here..." A mellifluous 'hm~' complemented her awe at the historical impression the school buildings put up, cocoa optics glimmering in absolute fascination. The shorter male chirping beside her would simply give a small shrug, thankfully inaudible for Ms. Danvers' ears to detect. The older lady turned her head slightly enough to glance at the new transfer, a small subtle smile of smug indicating her calmer mood.

At least _she_ was better than that _Hopkins_. Bringing her to the head would prove to be no cumbersome task, but it wasn't that she had any trouble bringing a nuisance to the rightful man-in-charge. Eliciting a pleasant sigh, reminiscing the great achievements that put Mr. Crabblesnitch under the bright limelight, her walk gradually developed to a slightly whimsical traipse, her mind intoxicated by the glory of the head.

Petey noticed this immediate change in behaviour right away, but he chose not to expose it to Shinra, concealing his disgust with a small cough.

"So... your dad's working at the asylum?" His fingers would idly toy around with themselves, pulling at the loose skin near his nails, tracing the intricate lines forming the wrinkles on his proximal interphalangeal joints.

"Mhm~ He seems rather enthusiastic about it," Raising her shoulders, she'd give a small shrug, not really interested in her father's career pursuits. Her cheeks inflated in a small pout, murmuring to herself, "Hopefully he doesn't become a madman in due time..."

"Hm?"

"_U-Uwah..._! N-nothing— I was only mumbling to myself..." Dismissing the idiosyncrasy of her murmurs, she'd offer a light punch on his shoulder, forcing Petey back despite it being a mediocre attack, "You know my habits, Peter! A scholar's always have to talk to themselves, ha ha...~"

"Oh— Well, I do that too," Pointing at himself, he'd force an awkward laugh, still recovering from that little punch. "It's a habit too, I guess..."

"Is that so~? That's a relief that I'm not the only one then~!" Giggling with him, they would somehow burst into merry laughter, a small peculiarity that truly marked them as friends, despite the random topics they embarked on. Manicured eyebrows would slant downwards in frustration, yet the middle-aged lady would simply tolerate the cacophony bubbling behind her. A soft sigh of some exasperation slipped from the crack of her parched, lipstick-scribbled lips,

_"Kids."_


End file.
